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Orthopedic Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Follow Five Rules for Dermabond Repairs

Published on Tue Jul 01, 2003

Question: Can I report G0168 when I use Dermabond for a simple laceration repair? Can I report this code if I also use staples to perform the repair?

Nebraska Subscriber  
Answer: Remember these five rules for using G0168 (Wound closure utilizing tissue adhesive[s] only) to represent a laceration closure with Dermabond only:
  You should report HCPCS code G0168 for Medicare patients only.
  If you treat non-Medicare patients, the CPT code equivalent to code G0168 is the 12001*-12018* series (Simple repair of superficial wounds ...).
  You can report G0168 for Dermabond-only laceration repairs in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
  If the physician uses sutures or staples with Dermabond to perform a laceration repair, you can bill only the layered laceration repair code based on the length and site of the wound, and you should not report G0168.
  You should not report G0168 when using tissue adhesive strips for simple laceration repairs.
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